Gate operating and locking means.



J.H.TAUSCH- GATE OPERATING AND LOCKING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I l 1916.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHLETSSHEET1 J. H. TAUSCH.

. GATE OPERATING AND LOCKING MEANS.

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LQU&%L Patented Dec.12,1916.

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JOSEPH I-I. TAUSCI-I, OF WINTI-IROP HARBOR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO GORTON FENCE (10., OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATIONOF WI- CONSIN.

GATE OPERATING AND LOCKING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 19 16.

Application filed February 11, 1916. Serial N 0. 77,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr H. TAUSOI-I, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, and resident of Winthrop Harbor, in the county of Lake andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGate Operating and Locking Means, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in meansfor operating, and locking gates of the vertically tiltable or swingingtype, in their normal or closed positions, as well as in their openpositions, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction,novel arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof, as will behereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide simple, inexpensive,strong, easily or conveniently operated, and durable means for operatinggates of the above mentioned type or class, from their closed or normalpositions to their open positions, or vice versa, and so that thisoperation may be readily performed from either side of the gate and at adistance therefrom, and if desired, when the operator is horse-back, orseated in a vehicle, such as an automobile, buggy, or wagon. Another andimportant object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallylocking the gate in either or both its closed and open position, to theend, that when closed, it can not be opened or lifted by hogs rootingunder the lower rail of the gate, and thus gaining entrance or exitthrough the gate-way, and so that, when opened, it may be held in suchposition, thus avoiding the danger of its falling on the person orvehicle while passing through the gate-way. Still another object is toprovide means for controlling or actuating the gate in its pivotal orvertical movements to the end that great ease in the operation thereofwill be attained. A still further object is to so construct, arrange andlocate the parts of the mechanism that they will not be interfered withor clogged by ordinary snow falls or mud from the road-way.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosedin the subjoined description and explanation.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate an embodiment ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a gate equippedwith my improved gate operating and locking means or mechanlsm showingthe gate by continuous lines in its closed position and illustrating bydotted lines the positions the parts of the mechanism will occupy whenthe gate is ralsed to its open position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig.3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view of the gate taken on line 3-3of Fig. 1 illustrating the parts of the operating and locking mechanismin their normal positions, or the positions they will occupy when thegate is closed. Fig. 4: is an enlarged view in side elevation of a portion of the gate, showing by continuous lines the position the parts ofthe mechanism will occupy when the gate is closed, and by dotted linesthe positions they will occupy when the gate is open, and Fig. 5 is anenlarged fragmental view, partly in section and partly in elevation ofportions of the locking mechanism.

Corresponding numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout thedifierent views of the'drawings.

Mounted on a suitable foundation 7, such as concrete, located at oneside of the gateway and at one end of the fence in which the gate-way isprovided is a base plate or block 8 which is preferably made of metaland has vertically mounted thereon a pair of guide posts 9 which, as isclearly shown in Fig. 2, are spaced apart in parallelism a sufficientdistance to permit of the free end of the gate frame 10 to operatefreely therebetween, but so as to prevent any material movement of saidframe laterally. Mounted on a suitable foundation 11, such as concrete,located at the other side of the gateway and at the other end of thefence in which said gate-way is provided, is a transverse plate or slab12, which may be made of any suitable size, form and material, and whichhas on its upper central portion a buffer 13 against which one of therails of the gate frame may strike and rest when the gate is in itsopen'position. The base plate or block 8 is also by preference providedon its upper surface between the guide post 9 with a buffer 1 L on whichthe lower rail of the gate frame may rest when the gate is open as isclearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The plate or slab 12 is locatedtransversely with respect to the gateway and gate, and is provided nearthe buffer 13 with a pair of spaced apart uprights or standards 15 and16, each of which is provided with a transverse opening to receive ashaft 17 which is journaled in said openings of the uprights or members15 and 16 and upon which shaft one of the lower corners of the gateframe 10 is mounted. Near each of its ends the plate or slab 12 hasvertically mounted thereon a post 18, each of which carries an operatinglever 19 which levers are fulcrumed as at 20 on said posts so as tooperate in vertical planes, and said levers may be disposed at anydesired angles to their respective posts, as well as at any desiredangles with respect to the frame. Each of the levers 19 has connectedthereto, near its outer end a depending and flexible connection 21, suchas a chain, which may be so disposed as to hang in a convenient positionto be reached by a person seated in a vehicle, or on horse back, whenthe gate is approachedand it is desired to open the same.

The gate may be made of any suitable size, form and material, but in thepresent instance it is shown as being rectangular in shape andconsisting of a frame 10 which is made of iron pipe or tube, providedwith a body 22 of wire fabric, the vertical and horizontal strands ofwhich may be united at their intersections and to the gate frame in themanner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings or otherwise.

Mounted at the pivoted end of the gate and on'one side thereof, andusually on one ofthe uprights 16 of the plate or slab 12 is a segmentallocking arm 23 which is extended longitudinally with respect to the gateand upwardly to a suitable distance above the plate 12 or road-way aswill be clearly understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 4 of thedrawings. This arm is rigidly mounted and has an eXtension 24 on itslower portion, which extension projects longitudinally from the pivotedend of the gate and has on its rear or free end a lateral flange 25which is provided on its rear surface with a cam face 26, see Figs. 3and 4 of the drawings. The flange 25 is also provided with an opening 27for the reception and operation of a rod 28 which has its outer or freeend screwthreaded for engagement with a nut 29 mounted thereon. Looselymounted on the rod 28, adjacent to-the cam face 26 of the flange 25 is awasher 30 between which washer and the nut 29 is located a spring 81which is coiled around'the rod 28 as shown.

The opening 27 in the flange 25 is slightly elongated vertically topermit of the proper movement or play of said rod, one end of which ispivotally connected to an arm 32, which arm is mounted at one of itsends on the shaft 17, adjacent to the segmental arm 23 and by preferenceoutwardly therefrom. At its-upper or free end the arm 32 is providedwith a socketed member 33 which is slightly ofi-set toward the gateframe, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and has the lower end of its socketopen as is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Located in thesocket of the member 33 is a spring 31 which actuatcs a bolt 35 which isalso located in the lower portion of said socket and has its outer endtapered. Extended laterally from the arm 32 below the juncture of themember 33 therewith, and toward the gate, is a stub shaft 36 on which ispivotally mounted one end of a dog 37 which has at its free end alaterally extended rod or pin 38 which projects through the body 2 ofthe gate near the pivoted corner of the latter as will be readilyunderstood by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The dog 37 hason its lower portion a catch or projection 39 which is adapted to engagethe ends of the segmental locking arm 23 of the mechanism, when the gateis shifted from its closed to its open position or vice versa. Securedat one of its ends to the rod 38 carried by the dog 37 is a connection10 which is united at its other end to the inner end of the operatinglever 19 on that side of the gate frame 10 on which the dog 37 islocated, and secured to the rod or pin 38 on the opposite side of thegate frame 10 is another connection l1 which is united at its upper endto the other operating lever 19 as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. The connections 10 and 41 may be of any suitable kind but areby preference flexible and loosely connected to the rod or pin 38 aswell as to said levers.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be readilyunderstood and clearly seen, that assuming that the gate is in itsclosed position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and it is desired to openthe same when approached from either side thereof, one of theconnections or chains 21 can be grasped, when by a quick downwardmovement or pull on said chain the catch or projection 39 on the dog 37will be disengaged from one end of the locking arm 28, when by reason ofthe tension of the spring 31, and the momentum given to the gate by theaforesaid movement on the chain 21 and operating lever, the gate will beshifted from its closed to its open or vertical position, at which timethe catch 39 on the dog 37 will engage the other end of the locking arm23 and securely hold the gate in its open position, until it is desiredto close the same when by again pulling down on the chain or pendant 21with a quick movement, the said catch will be released from the lockingarm and the gate closed. As the spring 31 transmits its tension or powerto the shaft 17 and gate frame 10 through the instrumentality of the rod28 and arm 32 it is necessary that said arm and the gate frame shallmove in unison, and to accomplish this they are by preference fixedtosaid shaft. In the operation of the gate it is evident that the positionof the rod 28 will be changed and for this reason an enlarged opening 27in the flange 25 is provided and said flange is also provided with a camface against which the washer 30 will contact in such a way as to offerno hindrance to the operation of the rod 28 which carries the actuatingspring.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination with agate mounted atone of its ends for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, of a segmentallocking member fixed alongside the pivoted portion of the gate, a springactuated arm pivotally mounted to move in unison with the gate, a springpressed pawl carried by said arm and having a catch adapted to engagealternately the ends of said locking member, a lever fulcrumed on anelevated support, and a connection uniting said lever and said dog.

2. The combination with a gate mounted at one of its ends for pivotalmovement in a vertical plane, of a segmental locking member fixedalongside the pivoted portion of the gate, a spring actuated armpivotally mounted to move in unison with the gate, a spring pressed pawlcarried by said arm and having a catch adapted to engage alternately theends of said locking member, and a lever fulcrumed on an elevatedsupport on each side of the gate, and connections uniting said leversand said dog.

3. The combination with a gate mounted at one of its ends for pivotalmovement in a vertical plane, of a segmental locking member fixedalongside the pivoted portion of the gate, an arm mounted at one of itsends on the gate pivot and adapted to move in unison with the gate, arod pivotally connected at one of its ends to said arm, a support forsaid rod, a nut adjustably mounted on said rod, a spring interposedbetween said nut and the support for said rod, a spring pressed pawlcarried by said arm and having a catch adapted to engage alternately theends of said locking member, a suitably fulcrumed and supported lever,and a connection uniting said lever and said dog.

4. The combination with a suitably mounted base plate having a pair ofuprights, of a shaft journaled in said uprights, a gate mounted at oneof its ends on said shaft, a segmental locking member fixed to saidplate and extended alongside the gate, an arm mounted at one of its endson said shaft and adapted to move in unison with the gate, a socketedmember on the other end of said arm, a spring pressed bolt in saidsocketed member, a pawl pivotally mounted on said arm below said boltand adapted to contact therewith, a catch on said dog to engage thelocking arm, a rod pivotally connected at one of its ends to the armwhich carries the dog, a support for said rod, a nut on the rod, aspring interposed between said nut and said support, a suitablysupported and fulcrumed lever, and a connection uniting said lever andsaid dog.

JOSEPH H. TAUSCH. Witnesses:

OHAs. C. TILLMAN, A. E. OLsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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